Hemerocallis 'JIM McKINNEY'

Daylilies are flowering queens for one day. Each bloom lasts a day but there is no need to worry – every stem bears more blooms and as the plants grow older they have numerous stems each. This low-maintenance perennial is a miracle for those who have limited time to spend looking after their gardens because apart from occasional watering on hot and dry summer day it needs ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. And still it can leave us gazing at their beautiful, lily-like blooms of every possible colour you can think of (except for blue and black).

Jim McKinney is a fascinating daylily variety with extra large flowers that can be up to 15 cm across (tetraploid). The flowers are golden yellow with some pale pink shades and a few variations of lighter stripes. Its main 3 sepals have distinctly frilled margins. The stems grow about 50 cm tall, under ideal conditions yet a little taller, and bear flowers from late June until early August. Leaves are semi-evergreen, medium wide.

It was bred by Clarence Crochet in 1994. Crochet was an artist, musician, and a teacher from Lousiana, USA, who was famous not only as a daylily breeder but also for his sense of humour. He would not pass an opportunity to make a little joke which eventually everyone expected. He fell in love with daylilies yet during his work at Dutchtown Elementary School. His first variety was named after the eldest of 4 daughters Mary Crochet and registered in 1966. During his fruitful life he managed to hybridize altogether 85 varieties of which 6 were tetraploids, allegedly the future in daylily breeding. He was elected the 21.president of the AHS (American Hemerocallis Society). His last contribution to the daylily world was named after his late wife Beth Crochet in 2010. He died aged 89 in 2014.

The leaves are deep green, strong and healthy. They appear early in the spring and persist until winter unlike spring bulbs whose leaves wither away after flowering. Apart from occasional slug attack there are no pests or diseases they would suffer from. Put your day lilies on a sunny spot and fertilize it for better flowering every spring, if you want to. It tolerates all types of soil, preferably it likes moist soil. Extremely hardy to -40°C (USDA zone 3).

Last update 22-07-2013; 04-12-2016